Musical toy



T. REST B AL MUSICAL TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 26, 1946 m r R T "H A Mam mmw M T. REST ET AL June 27, 1950 MUSICAL TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 26, 1946 oww [)2 Van tors THELMA R637 N? Jgnom: R557 Arr):

Patented June 27, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to musical toys and is concerned more particularly with toys of the music box type.

It is an object of our invention to provide a music box so constructed that any number of musical selections may be selectively played therewith.

Another object is to provide a music box in which the pin carrying element is readily securable and replaceable.

An additional object is to provide a music box of the percussion type which is of extremely simple and inexpensive construction.

A further object is to provide a music box employing freely suspended tuned members.

' Further objects and advantages of our invention will appear as the description proceeds.

The invention will be better understood upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of one form of our invention, on a reduced scale, the shield for the tuned members being omitted.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan sectional view taken as indicated by the line 33 in Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views taken as indicated by the lines 4-.-4 and 5-5, respectively, in Fig. 2. I

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary isometric view, partly in section, showing how the tuned members are suspended.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the pin-carrying belt.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a modified rear support for the belt.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown at a box comprising a stationary section generally indicated at 22 and a cover section generally indicated at 24. The stationary section comprises a floor 25, a right side 28 and a front end formation 29 comprising side panels 30 and an end panel 32, said side panels being secured to the floor 26 and one of the side panels being secured to the side wall 28. The floor 26 i mounted on any suitable legs as shown at 34, four such legs being preferably provided. The legs 34 may be in the form of felt, rubber or other suitable buttons, or such buttons may be secured at the bottoms of the legs, as shown at 36, to avoid marring a table top or the like on which the device is adapted to rest.

, The cover section 24 of the box comprises rear end, top and left side walls 40, 42 and 44, respectively, all suitably secured together, the top wall being suitably hinged, as at 46, to the stationary wall 28. A suitable bracket member 48 is secured to the exposed face of the wall 28 and is disposed to support the cover section 24 by engagement with the top wall 42 thereof when the cover section is swung open.

The end formation 29 constitutes a support for tuned elements 50, which may be in the form of tubular or non-tubular rods, but are here illustrated in the form of tubes. To thisend, the formation 29 includes a bar 52 attached to the upper part of the front panel 32, said bar having a horizontal row of pockets 54, one for each tube 50, each pocket being of such size as to freely accommodate a tube 50 without substantial contact therewith. The spacers 56 of the bar 52, defining the pockets 54, and the panels 28 and 30, are formed with alined notches or passages 60 in which a strand or cord 54 is disposed, the ends of the cord being anchored by suitable means, such as screws 66, in the side panel 30, either or both of said screws being adapted to be rotated to tighten the string so as to hold it taut.

i In assembling the parts, the string 64 is passed through diametrically opposite holes 68 in each tube 50, then the tubes are, positioned in the respective pockets 54 and the string is placed in the notches 60, and then the strings are anchored to the screws 56 and tightened. The holes 68 in the tubes 50 are substantially larger than the string 64 so that the string is easily passed therethrough and the tubes are loosely pivoted on the string. After the strand 64 is tightened, a suitable adhesive lll such as glue, pyroxylin, or the like may be brushed or otherwise applied to the notches 60 and the portions of the strand therein and allowed to set, whereby loosening of the strand is precluded.

The tubes 50 are made from the same tubing but are progressively varied in length to the proper extent to have proper pitches in an-ascending scale. The bottom and top of the formation 29 are preferably open.

For the purpose of protecting the upper ends of the tubes from accidental engagement by the hands or objects, and for the purpose of dispensing with the necessity for buffing the burs off the tops of the tubes, we provide a shield 14 superimposed and mounted on the end formation 29.

A relatively stiff wire is secured to the side panels 28 and 30 parallel to the bar 52, and passes loosely through a series of hammers 92, one for each tube 50, so as to pivotally support the hammers. A bar 94 disposed over the pin 90 and rod I36 is manually moved up out of thedetent block 220, whereupon it is automaticallyforced back by the spring 204'to hold the belt taut, ready for use. The cover section-24 may thereafter remain in open position or be closed, as desired. When the cover'section is supported by the bracket 48, clearance is afforded, as shown in Fig. 4, for rotation of the handle-I50 to operate the device.

When it is desired to remove the belt, th foregoing procedure is followed.

Assuming the belt to be in operative position, the child rotates the handle in the direction indicated by the arrow 230 (Fig. 2) to produce musical sounds, the pins I ID in proximity to the hammers 92 having upward movement. As a'pin H strikes a hammer 92, the hammer rocks in a clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 2, throughout a suitable angle which in the illustration is approximately 30, although the angle may be varied as desired. As soon as the pin H0 clears the hammer 92, the latter swings and causes its ball IM to strike the associated tube 50 and produce the desired musical sound. Each hammer is weighted to naturally assume a position in contact with the associated tube, when both are at rest, as indicated above, so that, after the hammer strikes the tube, they move apart and remain apart long enough to permit the tube to resonate and give a full, clear tone, and then the ball I04 and the tube 50 come into contact so that the ball dampens further vibration of the tube, the hammer at the same time being in proper position to be energized by a succeeding pin HD.

Should the child happen to turn the handle in the wrong direction, the only effect will be for the pins H0 to rotate the hammers 92 slightly in such direction that the balls I04 will merely push the associated tubes a slight amount, and when the pins have passed beyond such hammers, the hammers and tubes will return to their normal positions of rest.

Since the device is intended as a childs toy, rather than as a fine musical instrument, it is essential that it be constructed as compact and as inexpensively as possible. These factors of compactness and inexpensiveness tend practically to limit the length of the belt H 2, yet it is highly desirable that the device be capable of playing completely through simple tunes. The arrangement of the roller I38, pins H0 and hammers is such as to provide for satisfactory playing of a maximum number of successive notes by a minimum length of belt.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that with the pins going counterclockwise around noller 138, a certain minimum distance of clockwise travel of the end of pin-contacted part of hammer arm 98 is necessary to build up potential energy for operating the hammer to sound the tone member. This period of minimum necessary travel obviously must be followed by a time period of sufiicient length to permit the hammer to sound the member before a next succeeding pin, intended to repeat the note by sounding the same member can enter the path of driving the hammer. Thus two factors of hammer operation are necessary in a satisfactory device, minimum energizing travel of its hammer and a time period permitting hammer strike. These two factors necessitate a minimum distance of spacing between the hammer-contacting part of successive pins that repeatedly operate the same hammer to produce repetition of the same note. The instant structure provides this minimum spacing, and yet provides for playing of a maximum number of successive notes by a given belt length, by making use of the advantage gained .by passing relatively long .pinsabout a roller having a relatively small radius, so that the spacing of the end parts of the pins that are in radial disposition with respect to the .roller axis, is very large with respect to the inner ends of the pins, which are much closer to the roller axis. .3

- In Fig. 2, the pin length and roller radius are shown as having a ratio of approximately 3 to one, and this and even higher ratios haveproved satisfactory. It will be seen that the outer ends of the pins ar spaced apart some four or five times the, distance spacing their, inner ends. While it-is impossible to give definite limits to the ratio thataccomplishes this result, it is evident that the pin length should exceed the roller radius, and that the greater the ratio the greater is the advantage of pin endtravel relative to pin spacing axially of the belt. v

Two considerations enter the determination of the particular ratio to be used in [a given device, one being the characteristics of thehammer, that is to say the necessary distance of travel of its part that is contacted by the pin, and the time necessary for return of the hammer, the other being the closeness of spacing of pins in a single row axially of the belt, for cooperation with a single hammer. Generally, since minimum belt length is of primary importance, this axial pin spacing is the primary factor, and the ratio of pin length to roller radius necessary to provide the spacing of successive pins to produce the required length of hammer contacting path of the pin plus the return time of the hammer is adjusted to this minimum pin spacing distance in the belt. As :a practical matter, by employing the present invention this pin spacing may be made the minimum distance permitted by the physical structure of its belt and pins.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein disclosed, except insofar as indicated by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a musical toy that comprises a series of tuned, percussively sounded members, a pivotally supported hammer associated with each, said hammers having contact parts radially spaced in side by side relation to one side of a common pivot axis of the hammers requiring actuating movement through a predetermined distance, and return in a definite time period to sound the respective members, a roller spaced from said contact parts with its axis parallel to the hammer pivot axis, and a pin-supporting tune belt having a reach trained about the roller and supporting hammer-actuating pins that are radially disposed in passing around the roller, a relative arrangement of the roller and hammers and the combined roller radius and length of pins providing for arcuate travel of contact portions of the pins including paths of driving contact between the contact parts of the pins and hammers through the minimum distance and portions permitting return of a hammer pin to its operation by a next succeeding pin, comprising at least equal lengths of pin and roller radius,

7 and spacing of successively operating pins axially of the belt at minimum intervals determined by the lengths of said arcuate paths.

2. In a musical toy that comprises a series of tuned, percussively sounded members, a pivotally supported hammer associated with each, said hammers having contact parts radially spaced in side by side relation to one side of a common pivot axis of the hammers requiring actuating movement through a predetermined disstance, and return in a definite time period to sound the respective members, a roller spaced from said contact parts with its axis parallel to the hammer pivot axis, and a pin-supporting tune belt having a reach trained about the roller and supporting hammer-actuating pins that are radially disposed in passing around the roller, arelative arrangement of the roller and hammers and th'ecombined rollerradius and length of pins providing for arcuate travel of contact portions of the pins including paths of driving contact between the contact parts of the pins and hammers through the minimum distance and portions permitting return of a hammer pin to its operation by a next succeeding pin comprising a ratio of in length to rollerradiue or atleast twp to one, and spacing of successively operating pins axiallyof the belt atminimum intervals de! termined by the lengths of said arcuate paths. THEM/In REST. JEROME REST.

EF RE CES CI'IPED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

NITED sures PATENTS Number Name Date 231,823 Ireland V V Aug. 17, 1880 358,157 Kenyon Feb. 1387 657,682 stafielstei et al- 1-,- t- .1., 0 883,745 Reissner -rpr, 7, 9.08 893,927 Hough July 21, 19%

1,100,671 Dea a'n June 16 191 1 1,314,18 Goolma 1-1-1 u 26 19 9 1,452,112 Goolman I Apr. .l7 1923 1,768,079 Kucharski 1 June 24, 1930 1,886,603 Strothotte Nov. 8, 1932 2279;637 Owczynikow Apr. 14, 1942 

